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Mama's Bail Out Day

The week before Mother’s Day, Philadelphia is joining organizations around the country as part of the National Mama’s Bail Out Day to give incarcerated mothers an opportunity to spend Mother’s Day with their families and build community through gatherings that highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices on Black communities and support the base-building of local organizations working with communities on the frontlines of mass incarceration.

Every day, an average of 700,000 people, who have yet to be convicted of a crime, are condemned to cages and separated from their families simply because they can't afford to pay bail. Women held in local jails represent the fastest growing group of incarcerated people in the United States. Since 1970, the number of women in US jails has increased by 14 times. Nearly 80% of women in jails are mothers. Without our support, this Mother’s Day, many women and mothers could be languishing in cages, separated from their families and loved ones simply because they cannot afford bail. Join us in bailing out as many mothers as we can the week before Mother’s Day.

We will bail out mamas in all of their varieties- queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant. The more money we raise, the more women we can bring home for Mother’s Day. We will bail out as many women as we can, but we know that thousands of people will still be stuck in Philadelphia’s jails - losing weeks, months, or even years of their lives simply because they can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars for their release. This is why we must end the use of cash bail, for everyone.

You can sign the petition to end cash bail in Philadelphia here, and join the No215Jail Coalition in demanding that Philadelphia’s next District Attorney commit to ending the use of cash bail, for mothers and for everyone.

It’s going to take our collective effort to give as many Black mama’s their freedom this Mother’s Day, as possible. When mothers languish in jail because of cash bail, our families and communities suffer. The costs are devastating.